Riverdogs play final home games

The final two home games for the Clark Fork Valley Riverdogs last weekend were a bit disappointing for the players and coaches alike.

The Plains team came close to victory in the first game Saturday when facing the Libby Loggers at Amundson Sports Complex. The Loggers drew blood in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead and in the second they scored seven more runs to make it an 8-0 lead. The Dogs scored only one run in the fifth. In the sixth, they nearly did it, coming within one run, 8-7.

"They started out rough, but they played good in the second half. I thought we were going to pull it off," said head coach Jon Zigler. However, Eli Ratliff was nabbed trying to steal second and the game was over.

Garth Parker started on the mound but was replaced by Jack Taylor in the second inning. Zigler said Taylor pitched a good game and held the Loggers after taking the mound. The coach said his team made too many errors early in the game.

"We played well under our potential," said Zigler. "I was happy with our pitching. Our defense let us down. Our hitting was pretty good, but we stranded too many men on base," he said.

The Riverdogs had a break after game one when the Loggers took on the North Idaho Lakers, beating the Sandpoint team 12-10. Saturday was also senior day for the team seniors - Trenis McDonald, Kody Carter, Alessi Rolando, Tanner Day and "super senior" Nate Zigler, who was the starting pitcher for the game against the Lakers. A super senior is someone who graduated last year, but is still age eligible because they were still 18 years old on January 1 of this season, according to Zigler.

The Idaho boys started by chalking up three runs in the first inning. In the bottom of the third, the Riverdogs got on the board when Taylor nabbed a triple, then stole home on a wild pitch. Parker stole home on another pitch that got by the Laker catcher in the bottom of the fourth. It was 5-3 when a fierce wind storm, accompanied by rain with thunder and lightning coming their way, prompted officials to suspend the game. Zigler said they have around a dozen more games to play, all away, and that Saturday's game would not be made up.

"We should have won both games today. We're way better than we played today. But, that's baseball. The game has a way of humbling you," said Zigler, who was disappointed that they didn't finish the second game. He felt the team had built up momentum and he had no doubt they would have won. "I think if we had the chance, we would have come back and won," he said.

In game one, Nate Zigler, Jody Page and Parker and each got an RBI. Ratliff got four hits, Taylor had two, and Carter, Page, McDonald, and Zigler each got one. The Riverdogs' record as of Saturday was 17 wins and 18 losses.

The Riverdogs will participate in the John Harp Tournament in Kalispell Friday through Sunday and in the Belgrade Invitational July 14-17.